British Red Cross deploys mass sanitation kit to Nepal from international warehouse in Warmley

The British Red Cross is deploying sanitation kit to Nepal from its international warehouse in Warmley.

Latrines, showers and tools to dig latrine trenches in rural areas are being sent to Nepal along with hygiene promotion materials, such as water treatment tabs and disinfectant. The combined materials will support the needs of over 20,000 people who have been affected by the earthquake.

The kit is being sent to assist the mass sanitation module (MSM) – a team of four sanitation and public health aid workers from the UK – who will also take with them a digger, water pump, tools and wheelbarrows in order to provide safer sanitation for those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed. The teams will be joined by an additional hygiene unit from the Spanish Red Cross, and together will reach over 40,000 people in need.

The team members that will be flying out to Nepal are team leader, Dan Sanger from Cheltenham, Jenny Archibald, a specialist support officer, from Bedfordshire, Ben Moon, a sanitation engineer from Wales and Anne Lloyd, a hygiene promotion worker, from Oxford.

Megan Bassford, logistics coordinator for the Red Cross, who is leading the team coordinating the transport of the kit from Warmley, says: “Nepal has been hit by its worst earthquake in 81 years. The most immediate needs are for food, shelter, water, and medical help. Today the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) has called upon mass sanitation teams from the Spanish and British Red Cross to fly out to give their support. One team will support people in rural areas and one will be based in urban areas.

“Because it has been raining, the sanitation infrastructure has been badly damaged and people are living in close proximity there is a high risk of health epidemics such as cholera. Our team members will be doing everything from digging pits and trenches for latrines to visiting local people with hygiene promotion messages such as the importance of hand washing and giving out items such as water purification tablets, to help them.

“Because of the huge loss of life we will also be sending some additional equipment to help with safe and dignified burials.”

The materials also include equipment such as tents, camp beds, mattresses, sleeping bags and kitchen kits to allow the delegates to remain self-sufficient for up to a month - reducing the burden on local resources.

The British Red Cross has launched an appeal. To give to the Nepal Earthquake appeal, go to www.redcross.org.uk/nepalearthquake / The DEC has launched an appeal. To give to the DEC Nepal Earthquake appeal go to dec.org.uk or call 0370 60 60 900

ENDS

Notes to editors

Photographs of British Red Cross logistics team members preparing the kit for shipping to Nepal on Thursday from the international warehouse in Warmley to follow.

The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies.

We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad to prepare for and withstand emergencies
in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them to recover and move on
with their lives.